Stethoscope and Superbugs

1:9, for a final concentration of 0.5% (since regular OTC bleach is 5%).

In Europe they are going to keeping stethoscopes in the rooms and not carrying them all over the place. Cuts down on transmission when no one carries fomites around.

1:9, for a final concentration of 0.5% (since regular OTC bleach is 5%).

In Europe they are going to keeping stethoscopes in the rooms and not carrying them all over the place. Cuts down on transmission when no one carries fomites around.

Thank you. I'll be cleaning my stethoscope now :)

(okay I've been told they cause cancer)

I've been told the same thing about ours. The way I figure it though....we wipe stretchers, tables, chairs, etc. with those things. I'm hoping it is "safe" to use the "CA wipes" and then just allow it to thoroughly dry before picking the scope back up/putting it in my ears.

I've been told the same thing about ours. The way I figure it though....we wipe stretchers, tables, chairs, etc. with those things. I'm hoping it is "safe" to use the "CA wipes" and then just allow it to thoroughly dry before picking the scope back up/putting it in my ears.

I've wondered the same thing...so I'll wait about a minute and hope for the best, haha.

When I did my OB clinical, that hospital had stethoscopes on each baby-bed, and you ONLY used the baby's assigned steth in that room.

I did a med-surg clinical in that same hospital, and each patient had their own BP cuff (the disposable kind). You hooked it up to the machine when taking vitals, then unhooked it and left it attached to the bedrail for the next time. And if the patient went to another unit for tests/procedures, the cuff went with them as well. At discharge, the cuff was tossed in the trash.

Then I did clinicals at another hospital that REUSES the disposable BP cuffs! When the patient is discharged, they wipe the cuff down with a "cancer-wipe" and put it back on the shelf to be used again. I can't believe that their Risk Management department doesn't have a hissy fit...

When I did my OB clinical, that hospital had stethoscopes on each baby-bed, and you ONLY used the baby's assigned steth in that room.

I did a med-surg clinical in that same hospital, and each patient had their own BP cuff (the disposable kind). You hooked it up to the machine when taking vitals, then unhooked it and left it attached to the bedrail for the next time. And if the patient went to another unit for tests/procedures, the cuff went with them as well. At discharge, the cuff was tossed in the trash.

Then I did clinicals at another hospital that REUSES the disposable BP cuffs! When the patient is discharged, they wipe the cuff down with a "cancer-wipe" and put it back on the shelf to be used again. I can't believe that their Risk Management department doesn't have a hissy fit...

Our BP cuffs are used over and over again..

And yeah, I've heard those wipes cause cancer. You would think I would start wearing gloves when using them but I still don't. Oops, I wonder what kind of cancer I will get.

GAWK! Scary stuff.

No answers, but I do have a question. If stethoscopes are 'assigned' to a room to avoid transmission between patients - how are the earpieces cleaned between nurses/Clinicians? Does everyone carry their own earpieces? I have never allowed anyone to use my 'scope because I think that the swapping earwax thing is just icky.

Our BP cuffs are used over and over again..

And yeah, I've heard those wipes cause cancer. You would think I would start wearing gloves when using them but I still don't. Oops, I wonder what kind of cancer I will get.

Yeah, well, what doesn't cause cancer these days? Between cell phones, microwaves and nutrasweet, I'd say we're pretty much doomed already.

I used those wipes for about a month.. Even after I'd let my stethoscope dry it would give me a rash on my neck.. Now I use Lysol wipes.

GAWK! Scary stuff.

No answers, but I do have a question. If stethoscopes are 'assigned' to a room to avoid transmission between patients - how are the earpieces cleaned between nurses/Clinicians? Does everyone carry their own earpieces? I have never allowed anyone to use my 'scope because I think that the swapping earwax thing is just icky.

I used alcohol swabs/chloroprep, whatever. I have no idea if it makes a huge difference -_-;

Yeah, well, what doesn't cause cancer these days? Between cell phones, microwaves and nutrasweet, I'd say we're pretty much doomed already.

So true.

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Our BP cuffs are used over and over again.

Regular cuffs I can see, because they have that nylon-style covering that has a better chance of actually being cleaned. But the disposable type of cuff has a felt-like type of cloth covering on it. (It's hard to describe, but maybe you know what I'm talking about?) I don't see how a swipe with a cancer-wipe is going to kill all the fomites in the nooks and crannies of the cloth-style cuffs.

No answers, but I do have a question. If stethoscopes are 'assigned' to a room to avoid transmission between patients - how are the earpieces cleaned between nurses/Clinicians? Does everyone carry their own earpieces? I have never allowed anyone to use my 'scope because I think that the swapping earwax thing is just icky.

IME, just alcohol wipes PRN. With most patients, the doc just rounds once a day, and the assigned nurse is the only other person who uses the scope. So if the docs care about the nurse's earwax, they wipe the scopes with an alcohol square before using. And if the nurses care about the doc's earwax, they wipe the scopes before the next use after rounds.